Gygax 75 week 1

TLDR: I develop a setting pitch in a few bullet points, using my interpretation of the process Gygax suggested in an old wargaming newsletter.

You should probably read the introduction to the The Gygax 75 Challenge, first..

Also, follow my friend JJ at Beyond the Gates of Cygnus as he takes the challenge.

FYI, our system of choice for this is Delving Deeper.

Enough preamble. How did I get along with my first week? I think it went quite well. I finished in about 4 days of off-and-on thinking and writing. Actually, the thing that took the longest was developing a Pinterest board, which is kind of an ongoing project.

I wanted to assemble my world from images - to use a visual palette. I specifically set a focus for myself, choosing images from the covers of vintage paperbacks, most of which I had not read! This meant drawing heavily on the work of Jack Gaughan and his peers. 

Jack Gaughan art from the cover of Andre Norton's Garan the Eternal

I started with a visual palette; JJ began with a musical one – 1975 albums by Rush. In the end, however, he made a Pinterest board too. (I have yet to make a playlist, but I probably should.) I think the more you can nail down the "feel" of your world the better. Nail it down without constricting it, that is. Maybe "focus" is a better word? It's easier to start focused in fantasy and branch out, adding ideas, than it is to do the opposite.

Here are the setting precepts

• Gods of Chaos and Law vie over the servitude of mortals, luring them into bondage with immediate gains and promises. Those who draw on the power of the gods slowly lose their humanity. (MUs and Clerics who begin to manifest inhuman traits are looked upon with fear and reverence.) The gods are playing a long game for control of the cosmos.
• Uzrak is a human-centric world. Though none of the “classic” fantasy nonhuman races (e.g. those from The Lord of the Rings) are found in Uzrak, the dalliance of gods with mortals has given rise to scion species such as the centaurs and harpies. Most humans harbor some level of mistrust and/or fear of the scion races. For this reason, and because scions are prone to feral impulses, they tend to live in the wilds. 
• The proliferation of humans is met with jealousy and hatred among Uzrak’s strange, older races. Feudal, vampiric shapeshifters rule the deserts to the southwest from spires of stone. Trolkin from the frozen lands raid along the northern borders. Snake people infest the dense jungles to the southeast. And many other forgotten ancient cultures and cults stir in their cold lairs. None worship the gods of humans, nor would those gods have the worship of these failed/failing races.
• People of consequence make a statement with their attire. Brilliant, ornamental robes and armor are the norm for heroes, magnates, and wise men. Badges of office and affiliation are common, expected, and displayed openly. Majestic beards are all but indispensable among the wise. You will be judged on your appearance!
• Iron forging is still a new technology. Things made from forged iron are expensive and difficult to acquire. When you buy equipment, bronze is the default. The secrets of forging are jealously guarded and controlled by rulers. Owning steel armor/weapons is a sign of status; but will also make you a target. Those who draw power from the gods find that steel is an anathema to magic; steel that is in intimate contact with a source of magic becomes extremely hot (severely burning anything it touches) and loses its temper.
• City states each have their own code of law. Best know it before you pass through the gates. Ignorance is no excuse.
• The Great Game. Raan, is a complicated chess-like board game played on a 10x10 board. It is an obsession among the cultural and intellectual elite. Sometimes Raan is used to determine the outcome of major decisions or events; some even believe that the gods give favored players inspiration or lead the profane into foolish moves.
• The Mythic Underworld. The deepest places in the earth sometimes open up into the underworld, where things shift from mundane, logical, and concrete to exotic, surreal, and fluid.
• Uzrak (and specifically Timuria, where the campaign begins) is a hot and humid world. Heavy clothes and armor are oppressive as well as cumbersome; few wear them. Mammals are relative newcomers; various forms of birds and reptiles are the norm. Thus mounts and pets are often some scaled/feathered equivalent to horses, dogs, and cats.

Sources of Inspiration 

• The works of Jack Gaughan and other 60s and 70s fantasy book cover artists. See the resulting mood board at https://www.pinterest.com/rayotus/kuulshiz/uzerak-where-gods-walk/.
• Fertile Crescent civilizations c. 1200 BCE. 
• The First Chronicles of Amber, Dark Sun, Dune, Chariots of the Gods, Necroscope III: The Source, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Philotomy’s Musings, Indian Temple Architecture. 

Questions for Characters

Prompts to help drive setting home; ask the characters, not the players!

• What powers and/or causes do you serve? 
• MUs & Clerics: what is the source of your powers? What kind of magic is your focus?
• Describe your outfit; what does it say about you?

These bullet points force a small amount of work on me. Namely to make the scion races and to come up with a mechanic for binding one's self to a patron and drawing on that power. Also to develop a bit of a bestiary for riding lizards and such. All pretty easy stuff in Oe D&D, actually. What worries me a little more is things like naming conventions and developing political factions. Was I supposed to have done all that at the start? Gygax isn't very specific on what all is entailed in this step.

Next week, a hex map!

WEEK 2